Fire-escape.



W. W. COTE.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.-22, 1915.

1,206,676. Patented N (W. 28. 1916.

UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

'WILLCORD W. COTE, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF '10 F. BURNHAM, 0F HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

Application filed December 22, 1915. Serial No. 68,231.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLOORD W. COTE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fire escapes, and

one object of the same is to provide means by which escape with safety maybe accomplished from a burning building through the medium of a simple and effective organization involving a rope or cable which is automatically controlled as to the pay out when the escaping person approaches the sidewalk or ground surface. A further object of the invention is to provide a fire escape which may be easily arranged for use in connection with a window or other outlet from a building and having a rope or cable adapted to be suitably attached to the body of the user of the device and also embodying means whereby when one cable is descending another controlled by the same mechanism is ascending and being coiled ready for use by another person, with material advantages in the quick escape of a number of persons from a burning building.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be morefully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing: Figure l is an end elevation of a fire escape embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. F ig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken in the plane of the line 83, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal ver-' tical section of the improved escape device.

The numeral 5'designates a frame constructed 'of suitable metal, preferably of malleable iron, and comprising end hangers 6 and upwardly projecting hooks 7 by means of which the device may be suspended from any suitable means such as cable loops, rods 01' analogous devices secured either permanently or temporarily to a part of a window or other outlet of a building. It is preferred, however, that any suitable form of swinging bracket be used as the attaching means for the improved device, said bracket being hung upon eye-bolts fastened outside of a window or other opening. As this bracket structure is obvious and forms no part of the invention it has not been illustrated, and it will be understood that the improved device is not confined in its application to any exact structure of suspending means. The hangers 6 have their ends bored or formed with openings,as at 8, and therein' the opposite extremities of a fixed shaft or pin 9 are held and prevented from having longitudinal shifting movement by suitable fastenings or linch pins 10. On the shaft or pin 9 a drum 11 is mounted, which as shown embodies two reels 12 and 13, or the drum 11 is divided so as to provide two integrally formed reels. The drum 11 is free to rotate on the shaft or pin 9 and each of the reels 12 and 13 is provided with a ro-peor cable 14 and 15 so arranged that for instance when I the cable 14 is unwinding with relation to its reel 12, the cable 15 will be winding on its reel 13. The cables 14 and 15 will be of a length proportionate to-the distance that the window or outlet from a building is from the pavement or ground surface so as to insure a safe descent by the user of the improved device. While two reels l2 and 13 are shown and will be preferably used, it will be understood that the drum may be of single form and thus reduced in its structure and weight to adapt it to be readily carried from one place to another and oper able by a single person. The double form of the improved device, however, is of comparatively small proportions and dimensions 16 uniformly rotating with the said drum."

The flanges or webs 16 project into ametal brake drum or shell 17 which is fully open at the inner side adjacent to the end of the drum 11. carrying the said flanges and closed at its outer side and periphery. The inner side of the periphery or rim 18 of the brake drum has a lining 19 of asbestos or other suitable material secured thereto, and between :the 'Iflanges or projecting webs 16 are four cast iron or other suitable metal friction blocks 20 having considerable weight and provided with outer bearing edges 21 to contact with or firmly engage the lining 19. These friction blocks 20 are of segmental form, as clearly shown by Fig. 3, and are rotated around the fixed shaft or pin 9 withinithe-druin 17bytheflanges or webs 16 and ,have a continual tendency to be thrown outwardly through centrifugal action during the rotation of the drum 11, and as the speed of the drum accelerates and reaches a maximum degreeofrota'tion these friction blocks will be thrown out into braking engagement avith' the ilining 19 i and thereby automatically check the rotation of the drum. The brake drum 17 is held against rotative movement bytwo 'lugs 22 projecting upwardly onopposite sides of and close :to the frame 5 or the main horizontal bar of the said frame, as clearly shown by Fig. 3, and by this means theiloose friction blocks 20 will have a positiveiaoti on relatively to the inner lined side ofthe :periphery or rim .18 of the brake drum il -Z. vIt will be observed that the drum 11 is comparatively short, and in fact the entire improved fire escape is reduced as much as ;praotica' ble-so as to render the same compact without weakening the structure thereof.

Qne of the special features of the improved Efire escape :as compared to devices of this class having double drums or a single drum divided into two parts or reels is the shortening of the drum without depriving theamproved device of the least efficiency in operation. In operation the cable leaves either-drum at a large circumference, but as the cable nears the end of its winding on the drum ithe speed is lowered and the distance of travel is less, owing to the gradual diminution \in the circumference at which thecable leaves the drum. Another feature is theiconstruction ofthe friction blocks with extended outer friction engaging edges or faces and of the same :curvature as the inner side of the lined periphery or rim 18 and whereby the friction'surface is enlarged or a maximum frictional engagement is obtainedbet'ween the blocks and the inner lined periphery -or rim 18 of the brake drum 17. The icab'les 1 1 and 15 will be provided with suitable body attaching means whereby said cables fmay be's'ecurely fastened to the body of @the =user, lpreferably :under the arms, so that theflhands of the person escaping will be free .for grasping the cable during descent. To assist :in primarily 'wind-ingthe one cable onitlie drum ian opening 23 is formed in the outer end of the drum, as shown by Fig. 4:, for insertion therein of a pin or other device whereby the drum may be conveniently rotated. The several parts of the improved device are also simplified and require very little machine work to prepare the same for practical service, and they may be very easily assembled and consequently the improved device can be manufactured and sold at a very reasonable cost.

l/Vhat is claimed is:

1. In a fire escape, a suspending frame carrying a fixed shaft, a drum loosely and rotatably mounted on the shaft and having projections at one end, a brake :d-ru-m also mounted on the shaftiand held against rotation by a part of the frame and into which the said end projections of the rotatable drum extend, the loose rotatable drum extending over a greater {portion of the shaft and having the end projeetions'only thereof located within the brake drum so that the remaining portion of the rotatable drum may be entirely clear of the brake :drum, friction blocks loosely mounted in the brake drum between the projections and operable to engage a portion of the frictiondrumflhe said blocks having their side edges in :loose engagement with the opposite sides of the end projections of the rotatable-drum,.:and a cable having winding association with the first named drum, the shaft also loosely-extending through the brake vdrum.

2. In a fire escape, "a suspending :frame having a fixed shaft engaging opposite end portions thereof, a cable drum of less length than the frame and loosely and rotatably mounted on said shaft and Provided with a cable in winding association therewith, the inner end of the drum having radial flanges projecting therefrom, a hollow brake drum also mounted on the shaft and held against rotation and providedwith a rim having an inner lining of suitable material, the flanges on the inner end of the rotatable drum being freely movable within the said brake drum, the latter having-a fully open inner'end, and segmental friction blocks loosely mounted in the "brake drum and held between the said radial flanges of thecable drum and by their form providing extended friction edges to engage the lining of the :brake drum and operating to automatically check the movementof the cable drum, the shaft also loosely extending through the brake drum.

3. In a fire escape, the combination of a suspending frame having a shaft "disposed horizontally therein and engaging opposite end portions of the frame, a cable drum divided into two parts and loosely and Irotatably mounted on the said shaft, the said cable drunibeing engaged by reversely'winding :cables and said drum also having :ra'dial flanges at the inner end, a hollow ibrak'e drum fully open at its inner rend and into which the radial flanges of the cable drum In testimony whereof I have hereunto set extend, and friction blocks loosely mounted my hand in presence of two subscribing Witin the brake drum between the radial flanges nesses.

of the cable drum and operable to engage the WILLCORD W. COTE. periphery of the brake drum to check the ro- Witnesses:

tation of the cable drum, the shaft also JOHN JOLLY,

loosely extending through the brake drum. ESTHER A. KITTRIDE.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of .Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

